The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1887-08-31
/" Prison RefOrnl.S

Editor Mirror: .-..-
Will you permit me to dissent from some state
ments embodied in editorial entitled 1.-THE Solu-
ton is Here" published in THE MIRROR of the
18th inst.
That reformation depends ultimately upon the
personal choice Of the subject, there is no doubt
Every schOolboy knows this. and upon this point
the writer of the article is commercially in the
right track. Woe to the man who. knowing his
powers. and realizing his obligations, deliberately
steps aside from the path OF virtue into that of
inQuity!
But. all wrong-dOers alike in their ideas of
ethics! think not. And here, it appears to me,
the writer places the cart before the horse. The
solution of the prison reform" problem is not
primarily with the prisoner himself. but with the
methods adopted by society to that end. The
prisoner is already bad, presumptively. and &C.
cOrding to natural laws he will not change so long
as his environment remains unfavorable. "prison
reform" means reform in the administration OF
prisons; and until society has ceased to surround
the prisoner with influences more corrupt than
those out of which he came, it cannot in the ma.
ture of things expect any thing but corrupt fruit
result. That tine administration of prisons
in the United states have long been fearfully i'm
moral is u notorious fact the proof of which is
apparent in the general demand for reform which
intelligent philanthrOpists now SO strenuously
making everywhere. prison. the chief officer of
which is a theft, and the administration of which
is conducted solely with the desire to suck the life
blood out Of the convict by hard labor: with a
morale that would shame bagniO; where officers
require such services from men that to be spoken
of rs good convict is a reprOach and q stigma
in the eyes of decent thieves. is not calculated to
keep even the "hOnest and true man in the
right path. In fact, would not give much for a
man who comes out of such an institution IRE.
formed" There is not much snap in him; ne
must be an idiot. 1t il true, st. Paul. or q
Thomas Aquinas might rise above it, but not so
with our common human nature.
"These great associations" the editorial says
referring to the constitutions Of charities and
corrections, prepare great advantages.' ETC., for
US, and "lay these great and benevolent tokens ut
our feet" Where are they? Nothing Of this kind
has ever been extended around here. Many men in
this prison would be thankful for a few "advan.
tagcs' by which he might grdle himself with fresh
powers. and prepare himself for the battle with the
world, soon to begin. One would think cOnvicts
were sent to a university and coached through it
bed of roses!
Without detractng from the good societies
whose object is the reform of penal institutions
aim directly at such.) it must be said there is
enough sham in their pretentions, and they are
too often used for the personal ends of our
McGargles, and other big (mOstly physically pris.
on officials. The direct practical benefit to the
common run of men in prison is mperceptible.
and the public should know it. No sir. convcts
are still punished. and punished hard, many of
is against natural justice and right.
Men of common honesty and of ordinarily hu.
name instincts find it difficult to deal out Justice
according to their conscience when they find
themselves prOvidentially mt the head of peniten-
tlaries, and until the people ready to support
methods and common sense principles. the man
or the boy that goes to prison will come out
worse than he went in. F.P.L.
Aug 26, 1887.